Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Forest Festival to include lumberjack demonstration

Forest Festival Committee members decided to have a lumber jack show, after reviewing a presentation of proposed activities Tuesday night.

The show is to run no more than $1,500 and Jeanie White will be approaching the public to get financial sponsors.

Karl Hansen, of Fordyce, who is a lumberjack promoter from International Paper, talked to the group and made a video presentation about the committee's options in regard to lumberjack entertainment during this year's 25th annual Gurdon Forest Festival, to be held on Saturday, Oct. 29.

Those present for the committee meeting were: Billy Wells, chairman; and members, Tambra Childres, Steve Pennington and Gurdon Mayor Clayton Franklin.

The group elected to get two or three demonstrators to the Forest Festival from Karl Hansen's group.

The demonstrators will cost $200 each and the set ups and shows will be an added expense. Plus, safety precautions will be taken. An ambulance will be nearby.

"You can cut yourself real good on a dull crosscut saw," Hansen said. "That is why we like to bring our own equipment and caution local cutters to be very careful."

At the suggestion of Childres, the group decided to have Hansen create an hour's worth of entertainment for the festival, plus invite college students involved in logging to come too.

"We feel like between $1,000 and $1,500 can be raised this year for lumberjack entertainment," Childres said.

Hansen had given the group the option to go with his premium show, a 10-event competition, which would have costed $3,500 and lasted four or more hours.

Wells said, "Maybe we could work up to that in the future."

Hansen asked about a local announcer. The committee agreed to approach radio talent Sherry Kelley, of Gurdon, to help with the lumberjack announcements.

"We usually have an interview format,' Hansen said. "And we run our chainsaws on alcohol, with no muffler, to increase the volume and effect."

Hansen said the lumberjack competition was in Gurdon four times during the 1990s "and I would love to see it come back."

As for demonstrations, Hansen mentioned the under hand chop, the standing block chop (involving a piece of wood standing vertically) and the two-person double bucking or crosscut sawing.

"We chop sweet gum wood," he said. "We use a $300 axe and a $1,000 saw, and we bring the wood and the gear," Hansen added.

"Our saws are sharp and stiff. This is the flavor of what we do. Once our demonstrators get there, you can tell us what you would like to see and we'll do our best to get it done," he said. "If you need us to continue demonstrating more than an hour, that is fine. We are used to going through a day."

He mentioned the group also does shows at Fordyce and Sheridan.

Once the demonstrator route was chosen, the group discussed location. Although one of the previous years, the show had been behind the Sonic, the group tentatively planned a spot near the Presbyterian Church for this year.

Childres said sponsors are being sought to pay the demonstrators, "and possibly the local cutters too."

Hansen said he will need two light poles set for his demonstrations, with the top of the polls needing to be nine feet off of the ground. The committee will approach Entergy about setting the poles.

In other business, the committee is making plans to include a greased pig contest for children 10 and under.

Pennington is in charge, and said he would come up with a small pig, with plenty of life in it, to turn loose at the Cabe baseball field, tentatively after the home run softball event.

First prize for catching the pig will be $50, donated by Pennington.

Moreover, Childres told Wells that Fred C. Craig, of IP Nursery, will need a booth.

Bingo playing is being added to the list of activities. Pennington said he would like for there to be a skeet shoot.

"Smithpeters wants to do it at the airport," he said. "We will check with Roy Ricketts. I am willing to clean it up afterwards."

The group also discussed having a pie baking contest, and mentioned the Extension Homemaker's Club may be judging that event.

"I want to be sure and let everyone know that they can set up refreshment booths, between the Main Street stage and the railroad tracks, anytime after the street dance starts for free," Childres said. "We thought about charging just a little, but the committee voted to let them come for free during the dance, since most of the daytime venders will be gone by then. Of course, the daytime ones are welcome to stay through the dance if they want."